Bi-component handle sleeve

ABSTRACT

A bi-component handle sleeve assembly includes an elastic handle sleeve having an annular flange extending around one of the tubular body thereof, and an elastic grip stop shaped like a short annular tube and sleeved onto one end of the tubular body of the handle sleeve and stopped against the annular flange and defining with the abutted annular flange and the tubular body of the handle sleeve an annular accommodation chamber for accommodating a resilient strip or tape being wrapped about the tubular body of the handle sleeve to prevent displacement of the installed resilient strip or tape.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sports gears and more particularly, to a handle sleeve for covering the handle of a golf club.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional golf club has a handle sleeve capped on one end thereof for gripping. Subject to the elastic material property, the handle sleeve can absorb the reaction force when the club hits the ball. In some club designs, a tape is wrapped about the shaft of the club to form a grip for gripping. The tape for this purpose may be prepared by a foam material, rubber or leather. The elastic material property of the tape enables the club to provide better gripping and shock absorbing effects and a nice looking outer appearance. To enhance tape wrapping convenience and durability, improved handle sleeve designs are created.

FIG. 1 illustrates a handle sleeve 10 according to the prior art. According to this design, the handle sleeve 10 comprises a tubular body 11, a flange 12 and a head 13. The flange 12 and the head 13 respectively protrude over the two distal ends of the outside wall of the tubular body 11. Thus, a recessed wrapping space is defined between the flange 12 and the head 13 around the outside wall of the tubular body 11 for the wrapping of a tape. When wrapping a tape, the tape is attached to one end of the wrapping space close to the head 13 and then spirally wrapped about the tubular body 11 toward the flange 12. As the end of the tape is not protected with any protection means, it tends to be turned upwards after a long use due to friction of the user's hand, causing the tape to drop from the handle sleeve.

To eliminate the aforesaid problem, Japanese utility model publication No 1974-86158, published on Jul. 25, 1974, discloses a modified design. According to this modified design, as shown in FIG. 2, the handle sleeve 20 comprises a tubular body 21 and an annular extension membrane 22 at one end of the tubular body 21. The annular extension membrane 22 can be folded back and covered on the outside wall of the tubular body 21, as shown in FIG. 3. After wrapping of a tape about the tubular body 21, the annular extension membrane 22 is turned inside out and covered on one end of the tape at the tubular body 21 to keep the associating end of the tape from sight, thereby eliminating the problem of the aforesaid prior art design.

The design of the backwardly foldable annular extension membrane 22 facilitates installation of the tape. However, due to a small wall thickness at the open end of the tubular body 21, the open end of the tubular body 21 cannot provide a sufficient binding force to the shaft of the club after installation of the handle sleeve 20. During application of the club, the handle sleeve 20 may slide relative to the shaft of the club or fall from the shaft of the club. Further, because the annular extension membrane 22 is to be folded back, alignment marks cannot be marked on the two distal ends of the handle sleeve during fabrication. Therefore, a secondary processing process is necessary to mark an alignment mark on the annular extension membrane 22 after the annular extension membrane 22 is turned inside out.

Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,989, issued on May 14, 2002, discloses a handle sleeve design, entitled “Gold Club Grip Assembly” According to this design, the grip assembly includes a resilient underlisting sleeve 31 over which is spirally wrapped a resilient strip, a nipple 32 located on one end of the resilient underlisting sleeve 31 and formed with an upward facing circumferential groove 35, and a head 33 located on the other end of the resilient underlisting sleeve 31. The lower end of the strip is urged into the confines of the groove to secure the lower end of the strip to the underlisting sleeve.

As the nipple 32 with the upward facing circumferential groove 35 is formed integral with the resilient underlisting sleeve 31, the mold tooling design is complicated and expensive. Further, the shadow depth of the upward facing circumferential groove 35 is insufficient to accommodate the complete tail end of the spirally wrapped resilient strip, resulting in poor protection. If to increase the depth of the upward facing circumferential groove 35, mold stripping and insertion of the end of the spirally wrapped resilient strip into the upward facing circumferential groove 35 may become difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a handle sleeve assembly for club, which accommodates one end of the resilient strip or tape that is wrapped about the tubular body of the handle sleeve, prohibiting the end edge of the resilient strip or tape from turning upwards or dropping.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a handle sleeve assembly for club, which facilitates club grip installation, reducing club fabrication cost.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, a bi-component handle sleeve assembly is made of an elastic material, comprising a handle sleeve having an annular flange extending around one of the tubular body thereof, and a grip stop shaped like a short annular tube and sleeved onto one end of the tubular body of the handle sleeve and stopped against the annular flange and defining with the abutted annular flange and the tubular body of the handle sleeve an annular accommodation chamber for accommodating a resilient or tape being wrapped about the tubular body of the handle sleeve to prevent displacement of the installed resilient strip or tape.

The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a handle sleeve according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of another structure of handle sleeve according to the prior art.

FIG. 3 is a plain view of the handle sleeve shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of still another structure of handle sleeve according to the prior art.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a bi-component handle sleeve assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an assembly view of the bi-component handle sleeve assembly in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the bi-component handle sleeve assembly in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a hi-component handle sleeve assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an assembly view of a bi-component handle sleeve assembly in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will be fully understood by way of the following three examples.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a bi-component handle sleeve assembly 40 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown made from an elastic material, comprising a handle sleeve 41 and a grip stop 50.

The handle sleeve 41 has a tubular body 42 and an annular flange 43 extending around one end of the tubular body 42. The outer diameter of the annular flange 43 is greater than the outer diameter of the adjacent part of the tubular body 42. A first mark 45 and a second mark 46 are made on the outside wall of the tubular body 42 and respectively disposed adjacent to the two distal ends of the tubular body 42 for installation alignment. The straight line connected between the first mark 45 and the second mark 46 is in a parallel relationship relative to the axis of the tubular body 42,

The grip stop 50 is a short elastic annular band, having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the annular flange 43. Further, the grip stop 50 is sleeved onto the tubular body 42 of the handle sleeve 41 and abutted with one end thereof against the annular flange 43. Further, the grip stop 50 has a mark 52 marked thereon for alignment with the first mark 45 and second mark 46 of the tubular body 42 of the handle sleeve 41 during installation.

Referring to FIG. 7 and FIGS. 5 and 6 again, the two distal ends of the grip stop 50 have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters. As the grip stop 50 is made of an elastic material, it is flexible. Thus, the end having a relatively greater inner diameter is defined to be the front end that is forced onto the tubular body 42 of the handle sleeve 41 to let the end having a relatively smaller inner diameter be abutted against the annular flange 43. After mounting of the grip stop 50 around one end of the tubular body 42 of the handle sleeve 41, an annular accommodation chamber 44 is defined within the grip stop 50 around the tubular body 42 of the handle sleeve 41, the annular accommodation chamber 44 is a parallel annular accommodation chamber.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 again, during preparation of the bi-component handle sleeve assembly 40, the handle sleeve 41 and the grip stop 50 are kept apart, and then a resilient strip or tape 60 is covered on the periphery of the tubular body 42 of the handle sleeve 41. After installation of the resilient strip or tape 60, the grip stop 50 is attached to the handle sleeve 41 around one end of the resilient strip or tape 60 and stopped with its one end against the annular flange 43 to protect one end of the resilient strip or tape 60. Thus, the resilient strip or tape 60 is accommodated in the annular accommodation chamber 44 and prohibited from displacement, and the mark 52 of the grip stop 50 is kept in alignment with the first mark 45 and second mark 46 of the tubular body 42 of the handle sleeve 41.

FIG. 8 illustrates a bi-component handle sleeve assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. This second embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid first embodiment with the exception that the two distal ends of the grip stop have different outer diameters, the annular accommodation chamber 44 is a tapered annular accommodation chamber; the two distal ends of the tubular body of the handle sleeve also be made having different outer diameters.

FIG. 9 illustrates a bi-component handle sleeve assembly in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. According to this third embodiment, the handle sleeve has an annular flange extending around each of the two distal ends of the tubular body thereof, and two grip stops are respectively mounted around the two distal ends of the tubular body of the handle sleeve and respectively stopped against the respective annular flanges. The annular flanges and the grip stops at the two distal ends of the handle sleeve are identical. Further, during fabrication, the configurations and arrangement of the annular flanges and the grip stops may be adjusted subject to requirements.

In conclusion, the invention provides a bi-component handle sleeve assembly, which has the advantages and features as follows:

1. Subject to the design of the annular flange around one end of the tubular body of the handle sleeve, the wall thickness at the respectively end is relatively greater, enabling the handle sleeve assembly to impart a high binding force to the club shaft, and avoiding slipping between the handle sleeve assembly and the club shaft

2. After a resilient strip or tape is covered on the periphery of the tubular body of the handle sleeve, the grip stop is accurately sleeved onto the tubular body of the handle sleeve and capped on one end of the grip of tape. Thus, the length of the grip stop does not interfere with the installation and quality of the resilient strip or tape, and can effectively prohibit the end edge of the resilient strip or tape from turning upwards or dropping.

3. The grip stop has a mark marked thereof to facilitate positioning alignment. When mounting the grip stop, the user can align the mark at the grip stop with the marks at the tubular body of the handle sleeve, avoiding a mark masking problem or a secondary mark marking operation.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, for example, the configuration or length of the annular flange or grip stop may be changed as desired. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

1. A bi-component handle sleeve assembly made of an elastic material, comprising: a handle sleeve comprising a tubular body and at least one annular flange each extending around one of two distal ends of said tubular body; and at least one grip stop shaped like a short annular tube, each said grip stop being sleeved onto one end of said tubular body of said handle sleeve and stopped against one said annular flange and defining with the abutted annular flange and said tubular body an annular accommodation chamber.
 2. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle sleeve comprises two annular flanges respectively extending around the two distal ends of said tubular body.
 3. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the number of said at least one grip stop is 2, and the two grip stops are respectively sleeved onto the two distal ends of said tubular body and respectively stopped against said two annular flanges and defining with the respectively abutted annular flange and said tubular body a respective annular accommodation chamber.
 4. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said grip stop has distal ends thereof made with one same outer diameter.
 5. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said grip stop has distal ends thereof made with different outer diameters.
 6. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of one end of each said grip stop is greater than the outer diameter of each said annular flange.
 7. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said grip stop has distal ends thereof made with different inner diameters.
 8. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the end of relatively smaller inner diameter of each said grip stop is smaller than the outer diameter of each said annular flange and is stopped against one said annular flange; the end of relatively greater inner diameter of each said grip stop is greater than the outer diameter of said tubular body of said handle sleeve so that each said grip stop defines with the abutted annular flange and said tubular body an annular accommodation chamber.
 9. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular body of said handle sleeve comprises two marks marked on the periphery thereof and respectively disposed near the two distal ends thereof such that the straight line connected between said two marks is in a parallel relationship relative to the axis of said tubular body for positioning alignment during installation of said at least one grip stop.
 10. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein each said grip stop has a mark marked thereof for alignment with the two marks at said tubular body during installation.
 11. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular accommodation chamber is a parallel annular accommodation chamber.
 12. The bi-component handle sleeve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular accommodation chamber is a tapered annular accommodation chamber. 